Calla planting

18 years ago

I planted Calla bullbs (tubers) two weeks ago in pots since it is too cold to start them in the ground. I read various forums about which direction to place the bulbs in the soil. The bulbs are in the shape of a small but fat cooky and hence only have two sides. Some said place the rounded side up. Both sides look rounded to me. Another said to plant the "ears" up. Mine have no up, there are 2-4 dispersed around the edge. Picture a fat round cooky with some large bits around the edge. Some say to have the crinkled side up. Both sides look crinkly to me. So I planted them and am waiting but did I do the planting correctly?

The only truly distinguishing feature is a dark circular brown spot(actually a series of brown rings) on one of the two sides. On one or two bulbs a small shoot is coming out of the center of this and I took this to be a root so I planted the dark ringed spot downward.

I just looked at a planting and some thin white tendrils are coming out of the side I called the bottom. Are these the roots or are these the stems?

I would appreciate any thoughts on this and if you're in the business have better instructions for us, the unknowing. Thanks

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Comments (4)

keiko2
18 years ago
The dark circles should be the remnants of the old petioles (stems) and this side goes up. The buds will usually swell and start to grow before you get any roots, but nothing grows from the bottom of these tubers, the roots also grow from the top half.

The aethiopicas don't look like cookies, and can be variable in shape, but with these, the pointed parts go up, rounded side down.

hth,
Keiko
susanlynne48
18 years ago
Yes, my aethiopicas are more elongated. I went ahead and planted mine in the ground, since the ground here is so warm right now. And, the tubers were already sprouting anyway, too. I looked outside today, and I forgot and left one sitting on the ground. Still sitting there with the little sprout growing! And, last night it was 23*! So, I guess it's okay. I'll plant it tomorrow.

Gerry - where did you get your tubers? I bought mine at the garden center here, and they already had little sprouts on them, which left little to the imagination as to how to plant them, thank goodness!

Susan
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keiko2
18 years ago
Susan,
I guess one of the best things about callas is that (200 miles south of ya) in the ground they can always take whatever comes their way and come back when conditions are suitable. Down to 28F here last night and it didn't bother them, only just a little wilting which they recovered from by noon. Oh, the midwest!, currently the concern is late frosts, but next problem is hitting 100F before they have had time to grow much.if they look like they arewn't doing well in hot weather,the best tactic is to let them go dry and come back later under better conditions. These are more San Francisco temperate than Miami tropical plants.

Keiko
susanlynne48
18 years ago
And we all know we are NOT SF temperate, right? Well, I have a lot of those in my garden. The petasites doesn't particularly like it when it gets hot either. Does extremely well in spring, turns greener in the heat and puts up fewer leaves, and in fall looks better again. Does yours do that, too? My kierengeshoma and rodgersia came back this spring - I was like totally surprised. Thought they died last year. Guess they just went dormant in the heat. At least now I know what to expect. But, I just love them, so will put up with their disappearing acts.

This means I can put up with the callas, too. Better get that tuber planted out today, but its awfully wet right now. I may have to put it in an itty bitty pot for now.

Susan